


Changing Fate

by Bird_Of_Scarlet



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: (?), Afterlife, Alternate Universe, Bittersweet, GO MORTIMER, Gen, Heroism, Mortimer doesn't regret saving everyone but now he feels a tiny bit bad, Oh boy I'm writing while the sun's out?, That totally never happens, but he's still gonna save them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 21:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15615576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bird_Of_Scarlet/pseuds/Bird_Of_Scarlet
Summary: "They're not supposed to see me."She grinned, but now he was even more confused."Who? Who's not supposed to see you?""You and your friends, the guests. I look after everyone here in the afterlife."Afterlife... He was still dead.-Even when he saves them all, there's always someone left behind.-Inspired by canufeelthemagictonight's "Save Them All" series and my own Afterlife AU.





	Changing Fate

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Needs of the Many](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15383070) by [canufeelthemagictonight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight). 
  * Inspired by [Thanks for Playing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15436731) by [canufeelthemagictonight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight). 
  * Inspired by [The One Life you can't Live](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15574614) by [Bird_Of_Scarlet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bird_Of_Scarlet/pseuds/Bird_Of_Scarlet). 



> Honestly every now and again I remember that in canufeelthemagictonight's series "Save them all" all the characters are getting saved and then here's me just watching the show like "Okay yeah I can let them die, that's gonna be a fun character to write in the afterlife." (Except for Ro and Safiya. I am still sad and salty about that. I am a sea of feelings. I am an emocean. [I love that joke but seriously I'm going to love writing their parts but stILL NOT OKAY.]) And after thinking about that parallel about five odd times, I made this.
> 
> So yeah.
> 
> This is set between "The Needs of the Many" and "Thanks for Playing." (So episode 6 and 7, at the part where Mortimer isn't alive.)
> 
> (Also "Save them all" is a great series, along with all of canufeelthemagictonight's other works. If you like Escape the Night [why else would you be here] check them out. Note: Leah if you see this holy crap hi)

He blinks and they're gone.

He's still at the church, but there's no longer anyone with him. The two Society Against Evil members missing from each side of the door, which is now tightly shut.

_What did they mean by a second chance?_

_Is he alive?_

Mortimer looked around frantically for a clue, before realising that there was a bridge behind him and past it was Everlock.

He began to run, going as fast as he could, bolting down the streets, his shoes creating clouds of dust as they hit the road. He rounded the corner just beside the arcade.

_That's when he saw her._

There was a girl sitting on the veranda just outside the arcade, slumped against one of the posts. He slowed down, stopping in his tracks. That's when she noticed him.

 Her eyes widened with fear, before she just, _disappeared_.

He had no clue where she went, racing forward to the space she once sat.

"Hey, _hey._ I'm not here to hurt you. Where did you even go..?"

"I'm sorry."

He whipped around, she was standing behind him now. He took a deep breath, examining possibly the one clue he had to getting back to the others. She had pale skin and dull eyes, both of which almost lacked any colour at all, covered by a fluffed mass of thick, brown hair that frayed out as it hit her shoulders. He racked his brain for who this could be, he knew almost everyone in town, and this was not someone he knew. Yet something still seemed familiar. Then it clicked. On her the lapel of her coat was a golden pin, and he knew that symbol.

_The Society Against Evil._

She stood looking up at him, with an arm folded behind her back as she brought the other up to the side of her face in a whisper.

"They're not supposed to see me."

She grinned, but now he was even more confused.

"Who? Who's not supposed to see you?"

"You and your friends, the guests. I look after everyone here in the afterlife, well once they die."

_Afterlife... He was still dead._

"I mean, things seem to be running a little behind. There would usually be at least four or so by now. I don't _want_ them to die of course, no, I just... I heard that _it_ was going to happen again so I started work as soon as I could." She motioned to the town around her, the buildings stood silent, even more uninhabited than when he last saw them. He managed to focus back on what she was saying. "...I did make a couple upgrades, but hey that can wait. But yeah, you're here now! Okay _that sounds bad_. I mean, it gets kind of lonely just, y'know, waiting. Anyway, now I can talk to you while I wait a bit more. I'm Nephthys."

Mortimer could still hardly process what was going on.

"Nephthys?"

"Yeah, well that's a nickname really. See, Nephthys is an Egyptian guardian of the dead, I read somewhere that she was supposed to guide dead souls to this other guy, and well, I just liked the name really." She held out a hand, which he warily shook.

"I'm Mortimer- your hand is really cold."

"Yeah, it comes with the whole dead thing, you get used to it. So, when are the others coming, I would've made room for the usual seven or so, but last time we there was an outlier so I just made it ten instead. It has been awhile."

_The others? If he could do anything about it, no one would follow him here. They said he had another chance, didn't they? After all, if he failed, Calliope would save them._

"I don't think anyone else is coming, I hope not. I'm not even a guest."

She looked up at him with a mixture of shock and surprise.

"What? But they're supposed to come here. What happened?"

He flinched, her shoulders shrugged as she looked up at him, and she looked _hurt_. Mortimer answered her, but he couldn't help his voice wavering.

"I saved them, and I'm going to save them all. They don't deserve to die, none of them. I died to protect them, but Calliope will look after them now."

She just nodded, looking down at the floor.

"Okay well that's... probably for the best. But what about you?"

"The two people at the church said I had a second chance, do you know what that means or?-"

She nodded again, cutting him off.

"I sealed it pretty well but, yeah there's a chance."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a thing called The Lazarus Harp, it was sealed away in a box and hidden. Your friends need two brass coins to open it but once they do... They can use it to bring you back."

_They have the coins._

A smile broke out across his face as he fist pumped the air

"They have the coins!"

The girl smiled weakly, looking back up at him.

"Congratulations."

_He could still hear the heartbreak behind her words, but he couldn't stop now._

"Hey, I'm sorry"

"No, no. Don't be." She shook her head, laughing slightly. "You're doing the right thing. So go back and do it. Besides, if it doesn't work out, I'll make sure they're at home here. I promise."

He smiled, before a soft golden glow appeared around his hands, causing him to stumble back in surprise.

"Look, that's you now." She beamed back at him again, stepping backwards to give him space. "Good luck Mortimer."

She saluted him as she moved, slowly disappearing from his vision. As she fades out the town goes with her. Everything goes silent.

-

_He's back in the lounge._

Everyone runs over to greet him, but there's only _eight_. They tell him that Manny and Nikita are at a challenge, and Calliope is with them.

He begins to hope, praying that they come back safe, but then he pauses.

_If I can't save them..._

He looked around at each face, just as bright and alive as when he left them.

_At least she'll keep them safe._

**Author's Note:**

> O H B O I .
> 
> Surprisingly I wrote this at like 2-4pm when the sun's out and I'm waiting for episode nine to come rip my gUTS OUT WITH A FISH HOOK- I'm so sorry for that. Anyway, I'm not 100% pleased with this, then again when am I ever with my writing, but I thought hey why not get it up anyway; spelling, check. Grammar, check. Attempt to make this somewhat bittersweet (but hey they're all alive so how sad can this actually be), check.
> 
> Welp, something a bit new but hey I hope you enjoy it, at least a little bit.
> 
> -
> 
> Comments are loved here w o o


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